Yet for all that, Ayton\u2019s career has felt less like a straight line and more like a zigzag of \u201calmosts\u201d and \u201cwhat ifs.\u201d Drafted No. 1 overall in 2018 ahead of Luka Doncic<\/a> and Trae Young, Ayton was supposed to be the centerpiece in Phoenix. And to be fair, he helped carry the Suns<\/a> to the 2021 Finals. But inconsistency, motor issues, and a public fallout with Monty Williams turned the vibe sour.<\/p>\n By the time he got shipped to Portland<\/a> in 2023, it was less \u201cfresh start\u201d and more \u201cnecessary divorce.\u201d In Portland, he put up solid 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds on 56.6% shooting this season. But the Blazers were deep in the tank, and Ayton\u2019s impact was as quiet as the Moda Center in March. The numbers? Good. The tape? Shrug. That\u2019s the contradiction that haunts Ayton. He can be dominant. But the league\u2019s never been about potential\u2014it\u2019s about persistence. And that\u2019s where Thompson\u2019s callout hits hardest. Because Ayton\u2019s not just playing for minutes in L.A. He\u2019s playing for his future. But Thompson wasn\u2019t done just yet.<\/p>\n Ayton, the Lakers, and $200 million on the line\u00a0<\/p>\n He laid it out as simply as he could: if Ayton plays like an All-Star, another $200 million could be waiting on the other side of this contract. If he coasts, he risks becoming another league journeyman with elite tools and a Wikipedia page full of \u201cwhat could have been\u201d. But Thompson had serious rhetorical questions.\u201cIf you want to make only two or three million bucks a year, I mean, I don\u2019t think anyone wasn\u2019t mind making that, then it\u2019s up to you Deandre, or do you want to make 25 to 30 million bucks a year?\u201d Thompson asked<\/a>. Brutal, accurate, and probably what Lakers GM Rob Pelinka was thinking when he signed Ayton.<\/p>\n ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n For the Los Angeles Lakers<\/a>, though, this isn\u2019t just a flier either. It\u2019s a calculated bet. With Jaxson Hayes still on the roster and Dalton Knecht perpetually allergic to the five, there\u2019s a massive opportunity for Ayton to seize a true starting role. \u201cIf you want to make another 200 million bucks, then prove it to us this year because he has a two-year deal. If he has a great season, he can opt out and then the Lakers can sign to a long-term deal at more of his uh talent value, which he\u2019s a which he definitely is capable of playing at,\u201d said Thompson. He gives the Lakers something they haven\u2019t had in years. A big who can rebound, score efficiently without needing the ball, and actually hold his own against OKC for more than five possessions.<\/p>\n Defensively, Deandre Ayton\u2019s not a natural rim protector\u2014he averaged just 1.0 block per game this season\u2026 but he has the tools. The question, as always, is effort. Can he switch? Can he hedge? And can he play with the urgency the Lakers\u2019 scheme demands? But to his favor, offensively, Ayton is basically a dream for a LeBron<\/a>-led offense: elite in the short roll, soft touch around the rim, and good hands in traffic. The Lakers don\u2019t need him to be Embiid. They need him to be reliable.<\/p>\n ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n![\"article-image\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/1753674249_876_DeAndre-Ayton.jpeg\")
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